Oklahoma
City is a surprise to many visitors and newcomers, with all the
friendliness of a small town and the amenities of our nation's
biggest cities. And with nearly fifty attractions, museums and
other activities, visitors will never be at a loss for fun things
to see and do. Oklahoma City was born in a single day - April 22,
1889. Just a little over a century ago, the site of Oklahoma City
was a grass-and-timbered land of gently rolling hills flattening
out into prairie in the west. In just over 100 years, this collection
of tents grew to a metropolitan city that sprawls across 625 square
miles of America's heartland. Its metro population numbers over
a million - a third of the entire state's population.

About our past…

Oklahoma's written
history began in 1541 when Spanish explorer Coronado ventured through
this area. At that time,
it was the home
of the
Plains Indian tribes, such as the Osage, Kiowa, Apache and Comanche.
In 1803, Oklahoma was sold to the U.S. as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

In
the 1830s, the federal government forced the Five Civilized Tribes
to leave their homelands. These tribes were living in the southeastern
part of the
U.S.
They had to walk to Oklahoma over a trail that became known as the "Trail
of Tears." Many men, women and children died during this long and treacherous
trip. Once these people settled here, Oklahoma became Indian Territory.

Cowboys
began their history on the Texas plains. Texas ranchers found they
had
large supplies of beef with no place to sell it. The East Coast needed beef.
To meet that demand, Texas ranchers had to move their cattle to the closest
railroads, which were in Kansas. The Chisholm Trail and other cattle
routes were made through
Oklahoma between 1866 and 1889. While traveling through Oklahoma, the ranchers
realized the territory was not only closer to the railroads, but a good location
for raising cattle as well. There was one parcel of land that was never
given over to any Indian tribe - the Unassigned Lands. In the 1880s, many frontier
Americans wanted to move into this land. Soon, landless pioneers began slipping
over into this area without authorization. These were the "Boomers," who
were trying to force the government into opening the territory up to homesteaders.

President
Benjamin Harrison signed legislation that opened up the Unassigned Lands and
on April 22, 1889, about 50,000 homesteaders gathered at the boundaries.
At noon, the cannon roared, and the hordes of people streamed over the line
on wagons and buckboards, horseback, on foot and even on bicycles
into the two million
acres of land, made their claims and, overnight, Oklahoma City grew out of
the plains. The settlers who entered to claim land before the official start
of the land run were called Sooners. Hence the state's nickname. On November
16, 1907, the Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory joined, and Oklahoma became
the 46th state.

Oklahoma City Today

The pioneer
zeal of those early settlers is just as evident in the Oklahoma
City of today. The western spirit that helped found Oklahoma
City is apparent
everywhere
you go. Oklahomans are just as likely to be wearing boots and a cowboy hat
as they are a suit and tie. Magnificent attractions like the National
Cowboy and
Western Heritage Museum, Remington Park Race Track, Frontier City Theme Park,
and the Red Earth Indian Center all reflect the strong ties this area has with
its western heritage.

In the early
1990s, the leaders of Oklahoma City were faced with a decision:
to compete or retreat. The decision was made to compete and
the city launched
a visionary project -- one that would change the face of Oklahoma City forever.
That plan was Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS), an ambitious program that
is one of the most aggressive and successful public-private partnerships
ever undertaken
in the U.S. The current amount being spent in this public/private partnership
exceeds $1 billion.

As a result
of that vision, visitors can now enjoy a multitude of new attractions
and entertainment options. The 15,000-seat Southwestern Bell Bricktown
Ballpark is home to the Oklahoma RedHawks, the Texas Rangers Triple A affiliate,
and has been named one of the nation's top two minor league baseball facilities.
Our professional ice hockey team, the Blazers, attracts record crowds with its
fast-paced, pulse-pounding action in the Ford Center. The Ford Center, a new
20,000-seat sports arena, has proven to be an ideal location for hockey, basketball
and concerts.

The Bricktown
Canal extends through the Bricktown entertainment district -- just
east of downtown, past the Ballpark to the Canadian River. The
river
is being
transformed into a seven-mile-long series of river lakes bordered by landscaped
areas, trails and recreational facilities. Shops, restaurants and entertainment,
hiking and biking trails, and park areas are part of this developing area.

A multi-million
dollar facelift and renovation of the Cox Convention Center has added new meeting
rooms and lobby areas, along with a remodeled exterior
and
exhibit space. The renovation of the Civic Center Music Hall, an historic
art deco building, is now the premier performing arts venue in the Southwest.

A
new trolley system, the Oklahoma Spirit, covers a three-mile area and loops
through downtown with an additional segment of the trolley system
linking
the
Meridian area hotels, state fairgrounds and Stockyards area with downtown and
Bricktown. The unique streetcars offer continuous service seven days a week.

Oklahoma
City isn't lacking in entertainment options, either. The Oklahoma
City
Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet Oklahoma, and Broadway shows at Lyric Theatre
and the Civic Center are just the beginning. Beautiful lakes, parks and some
of the nation's best golf courses and tennis facilities also await the outdoor
enthusiast.